The goal of this proposal is to establish a "Center for Cancer Experimental Therapeutics" in the State of Kansas. Three state institutions combine their resources and faculty to establish a Center to mentor junior faculty in cancer-related research and novel infrastructure needed for experimentation at the interface between chemistry and biology. Matching funds provided by the University of Kansas (KU) and the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC) together with NIH-COBRE support will result in the establishment of unique core facilities needed to identify novel bioactive compounds that will be useful basic biomedical research tools, and potential therapeutic agents. A strong tradition in medicinal chemistry at KU, relationships with expansion and turnover of junior faculty in basic-biomedical research over the next five years makes Kansas a logical site for establishing a Center for research in experimental therapeutics. Funds are requested for the support of five projects in which junior faculty and one successful senior faculty not previously funded by NIH serve as P.I.s. These faculty are partnered with competitiveness of future recruits, and a competitive program for the obtainment of large-scale equipment and facilities support will be established. Two Cores will be established and operated by an experienced group of investigators with expertise in the areas of combinatorial chemistry, cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, cancer cell biology, and the development of novel bioassays for compound and cellular target identification. The combination of expertise for the generation and analysis of novel compounds, together with that for the development of bioassays for screening, offers a unique opportunity for joining two research areas into two combined effort. The Cores will work with new junior faculty to screen compound libraries from the National Cancer Institute repositories, those from commercial sources, and those generated on-site, for identification of reagents that will enhance their research.